Monthly Archives: November 2014

Debriefing Questions are the Magic of Team Building Events

Have you ever seen a magician pull a rabbit out of his or her hat? That rabbit was there all along – but the magician likely went through a very entertaining or even interactive set of activities and comments that led up to the moment the rabbit actually appeared. Team building activities are certainly entertaining […]

A Story About Cowards, Heroes, Boxing, and Heart…

Coach Bill Parcells is well known for having taken struggling organizations and building them into successful teams. He was without question a solid strategist, but what set him apart was his focus on the individual character and “heart” that championship teams required. One of the personal binders that Parcells kept in his desk as coach […]

Has Your Team Size Become Too Big for the Campfire?

The fire pit in our backyard is perfect for keeping a small group warm, but it is only cozy when there are around half a dozen people.  Team size is important, because at some point your group growth may become too big for your campfire. As long as the campfire circle is small, your people […]

Stone Soup – A Folk Tale About Teamwork

Once upon a time, somewhere in Eastern Europe, there was a great famine. People in one small village jealously hoarded whatever food they could find, hiding it even from their friends and neighbors. One day a wanderer came into the village and asked an old woman a few questions about the village as if he […]

Three Tips to Make Anyone on Your Team Feel Like a VIP

Great teammates and leaders know that the way to get the best out of the people on their team is to make each one feel like a VIP.  Everyone wants to feel like an important person. Maya Angelou said years ago that “people may forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”  If […]

3 Tips for Sailing Past Your Sirens and Avoiding Distractions

You likely recall reading The Odyssey from freshman literature class back in high school. Homer’s epic poem focuses on the adventures that Odysseus and his men encounter as they travel back home to the Greek island of Ithaca following the Trojan War. Most people remember the meeting with the Cyclops, and some can still remember […]

The HOW of Effective Team Communication

Whether you are part of a medical team, a corporate team, or a family, effective team communication demands that you and everyone else involved in your group’s activities know HOW to share important information… Late one afternoon, during the heat and boredom of a July day, with our children all lounging around the house, my […]

Why Championship Teams ARE Touchy-Feely

As soon as your people hear the term “team building,” odds are that at least one person in your group can be seen rolling their eyes.  That behavior is almost always followed by the firm assertion that “I don’t do touchy-feely stuff.” But the truth is thatstrong groups DO reach out and encourage each other […]

3 Truths About Teams and Change

You have likely heard of growing pains that accompany progress – but the truth is that, for teams, the greatest pain that will be experienced is from those who refuse to change and adapt to each other, to their competition, or to the market they are a part of. Our world – and your corner […]

How to Turn Group Work into Teamwork

Teachers are all too familiar with how attempts at group work can deteriorate into unfocused social time or a majority of the responsibility being unfairly placed on one conscientious individual, while others slack off. Classrooms across the country are filled with situations just like that. Unfortunately, this is a circumstance that often continues as students […]